Marriage of Convenience
by chocolatte-delight
Summary: Her clan wanted her to get married to a wealthy and influential man; the Council was pressuring him to get married and increase his bloodline. It was a perfect match, made of legal contracts and life-binding papers. KakaHina
1. Prologue

_Introducing..._ **Marriage of Convenience**

_Pairing: **KakaHina**_**  
**

Summary: Her clan wanted to marry her off to a wealthy and influential man; the Council was pressuring the Hokage to get married. It was a perfect match, made in legal contracts and life-binding papers. Hinata doesn't really agree, but... the more she gets to know Hatake Kakashi, her new husband, the more she finds herself questioning whether or not she really doesn't want this.

* * *

**Prologue**

She wasn't doing this by choice.

To be precise, it was anything but.

Hinata solemnly lifted the cup to her mouth, sipping the sake lightly. Beside her, her new husband did the same.

"I would like to introduce the new husband and wife: Hatake Kakashi and Hatake Hinata."

She wasn't doing this by choice.

But it was something she had willingly agreed to.

Because Naruto-kun had asked. And who was she to turn down the love of her life?

_'Except…'_ Hinata walked through the aisle with her new husband leading the way. _'Now I have no chance at all with Naruto-kun.'_

"The bride and groom will now be seated. The reception party will start shortly."

Hinata sat down at the reserved table, keeping her eyes steady. Kakashi sat down next to her and placed a gloved hand over hers. Hinata looked up in shock, only to see the masked man's eye crinkle into a reassuring smile.

"Don't look so glum," he said lightly. Hinata blinked at his words. Kakashi grinned before adding, "You look beautiful, by the way."

Hinata blushed slightly at the man's random compliment. Releasing her hand, Kakashi stood up and left the table, sending her a smile on his way.

She wasn't doing this by choice.

But Kakashi was definitely making it more bearable.

_'I suppose...'_ She smiled slightly when she saw Kakashi exchanging awkward words with her overenthusiastic grandmother. _'It won't be too bad.'_

**--&--**

I apologize for brevity, but I'm thinking it makes for a perfect way to introduce the couple :) Please enjoy!_  
_


	2. Chapter 2

Next chapter of **Marriage of Convenience**!

Hope you guys enjoy :)

**I own nothing!**

* * *

She supposed it would be strange to say that she wasn't in love. Especially since she was on her way to her new house, shared with her new husband, due to their new marriage.

_Love._

A word that she had always associated with a certain blonde-haired, blue-eyed boy, one whose words always inspired her, always helped her stand back up.

_Love._

Something she had never, _ever_ thought could be put in the same sentence as "Hatake Kakashi."

Especially Seventh Hokage, Hatake Kakashi.

* * *

Hinata surveyed the rather small house curiously, wondering where the "Hokage's Mansion" came in.

"Sorry, it's a bit small," said a sheepish voice beside her. Hinata jumped before blushing.

"I-it's not, not really."

The silver-haired man shook his head, his single eye regarding the house warmly. "I could have chosen a bigger place, but... I thought you would've liked the scenery."

Noticing, for the first time, the vast amount of nature surrounding the house, Hinata's eyes widened in delight. Behind the house was a large brush of wooded area, looking for all the world to be part of Konoha's natural forest. Hinata heard the faintest sounds of a stream gurgling off to the side, and various types of birds chattered loudly, each relaying a vivid story. Vines curled off the sides of the house, creating the image of the house being part of the nature surrounding it, rather than it being its own entity.

_Beautiful._

"I love it."

Her words came out as a hushed whisper, muffled by the hands that had flown to her mouth in wonder. Her ceremonial robes' sleeves slid down her arms, allowing the soft wind to brush against them.

Her new husband didn't say anything, just smiled at her reaction, his little book nowhere in sight. Hinata stood there for a while, admiring her—_their_—new house.

The silence was broken by the scuffle of Kakashi's formal sandlewear as he walked towards the house, a small key in his hands. Just before sticking the key in the key hole, he turned back to look at her, an unreadable look in his eye.

"Coming?"

Hinata blushed and nodded. Picking up the long ends of her kimono, she started forward towards the house, wondering how it would look on the inside.

She was totally unprepared to see that the house was already furnished, judging from the two pairs of slippers that were placed at the door, one a small size, the other a few sizes bigger. Hinata felt her cheeks heat up when she saw them... the way they looked so cute and snug next to each other.

Unaware of her mind's thought process, Kakashi nonchalantly slipped out of his sandals and into the slippers before padding into the smooth, polished floors of the house. Following his example, Hinata took off her sandals, thankful of the relaxing release of the pinching soles, and slipped into the soft, silky slippers.

Taking her time in walking through the house, Hinata admired the beautiful paintings that were hung on the pale walls of the welcoming hallway. The soft scent of cinnamon was tickling her nose, mixed with the fresh scent of their new house.

Walking further along the hallway, Hinata peered into a doorless entrance, smiling when she saw a comfortable-looking couch and a coffee table to match. Hinata turned the corner and was delighted to see a small, elegant table with four chairs. Following the sight, she gasped when she saw the large kitchen. Its counters shone in promise, the sink was beautiful, and a silver refrigerator was humming quietly.

Mentally deciding for the kitchen to be her first visit after shedding off her heavy ceremonial clothes, Hinata walked towards the traditional sliding doors opposite the kitchen, sliding them open almost reverently.

Hinata felt her heart warm slightly at the sight that greeted her. A low kotatsu table was in the middle of the room, its surface a smooth mahogany color. The room was a relaxing mix of brown and off-white. Noticing another pair of sliding doors on the opposite wall, Hinata walked towards them eagerly. The sight of the wooded forest outside made her bring a hand to her lips in awe.

There was an area of flat land directly outside, but it quickly disappeared in the grasp of the forest. Hinata smiled when a soft breeze blew against her, loving the woody scent that permeated the air.

"I see you haven't found the bedrooms yet," said a lightly amused voice from behind her.

Jumping for the second time that day, Hinata swiveled around to face the masked visage of her husband, already clad in his casual jounin outfit, his jounin vest only halfway zipped up, displaying a black turtleneck shirt under it. The silver-haired man's eye was crinkled in a smile, an orange book in his right hand, as he leaned against the door in an almost lazy way.

"I-I was just a-admiring the beautiful house and…" Hinata trailed off, not too sure what to say when faced with the overly calm appearance of the masked Hokage.

Kakashi only waved a hand airily. "It's your house, you know," he commented lightly. "You're free to do whatever you like in it."

A slow blush crept up her cheeks, entirely out of her will.

_Her house._

It sounded entirely too pleasing to her ears, hearing that small phrase uttered from the masked nin's mouth.

Maybe it had something to do with the silent hint of permission and acceptance in the man's words, the ones that told her that she was a _part_ of this marriage, had a say in the matter, if only in this house they shared.

Involuntarily, a slow smile grew on her lips. She had had her qualms at first, about living with _the_ Hatake Kakashi, notorious for his fame and power and his love of reading questionable material in public, but… it looked like living with this strange man wouldn't be too difficult after all.\

* * *

Hinata was forced to question her earlier conclusion when she stared awkwardly down the hallway that contained two bedrooms, a bathroom in one, another off to the side.

_Where was she sleeping again?  
_

A sheepish Kakashi was off to the side, a hand shuffling through spiky silver strands in an almost nervous manner. "The genin put all our things in the same room, but, um… I'm pretty sure you're not ready to lose _all_ your privacy, so… You're free to move your things to the other room, if you want."

Feeling immensely thankful of the wonderful, _wonderful_, man she was currently married to, if only in legal documents, Hinata nodded as she carried her things out of the spacious master bedroom and dumped her things in the sparsely furnished guest room a few feet down the hallway.

"Thank you," she murmured quietly as she turned around, a hand held lightly on the wooden door.

The last thing she sees before closing the door is a goofy smile in the man's creased eye, as if silently saying, "You're welcome."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **Ahmm... I have no excuse for the lack of updates for this fic! ^^; I apologize for taking my sweet, leisurely time in updating this -**6 or 7 months to be exact...**-but I hope you guys find this chapter satisfactory. Honestly there's been so much interest in this fic that I'm rather surprised as well :) Thanks everyone for your reviews and alerts and faves!

**Disclaimer:** If I owned this, the love triangle would be between Kakashi, Hinata, and Shikamaru. Seeing as how it's focused on Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura lately, it's obvious I don't own, right?

* * *

Her fingers skimmed across the tabletop, tracing a figure eight on the gleaming surface. The porcelain clock's second hand ticked away the minutes, and the minute hand dutifully made a full circle. Hinata sighed into her palm and straightened her inelegant form slumped over the table.

_...two hours late._

He'd promised to—

Hinata broke her train of thought and berated herself. It was not his fault that shinobi did not have regular hours, not his fault at all that even the Hokage himself was not able to leave his office to keep promises.

Not even promises made to his newly wed wife.

Hurriedly, she swiped away any stray tears she _might_ have shed and grabbed her favorite pair of chopsticks.

"_Itadakimasu_."

Cold vegetables were chewed with a grimace and washed down with lukewarm soup. Hinata swallowed and absently made a mental note to heat up the food for him when he returned later that night.

* * *

A week passed by in a similar manner, with no sight of or word exchanged with her "husband." The only indication that Hyuuga Hinata was indeed married to Hatake Kakashi, Seventh Hokage, were the slight traces of his chakra around the house and the empty plates that would be waiting for her when she woke up in the morning.

Hinata could only feign a carefree and optimistic attitude for so long.

"Kakashi-san," she said during a rare afternoon when they were both home.

"Hm?" murmured the man over an important-looking scroll.

Hinata bit her lip, gathering all her resolve, and leveled her gaze with his obscured face. To her relief, Kakashi seemed to notice the graveness in her expression and set aside his scroll, fixing on her an expectant look.

"I— Kakashi-san, a-actually, I have been thinking…" She trailed off, her thoughts traveling too fast for her to compute it into words. "I…"

"You wish to return to active duty, right, Hinata?"

Hinata blinked at him, her mouth agape. How had he known? How could he possibly—

Her shock dissipated when she met his gaze – his single visible eye smiled at her with an almost _approving_ expression.

_Had he been expecting this all along?_ she wondered, feeling her respect and admiration for the man and his astuteness begin to climb exponentially.

"Y-you're right," she finally managed. "I wish… to return to my kunoichi duties. With all due respect, Hoka—, Kakashi-san."

The man rose from his seat at the table, grabbing the scroll and tucking it under his arm. He grinned and said, "I'm not the most interesting man, Hinata, as you've probably figured out." Hinata began to protest, but he spoke over her and continued.

"I knew you'd get bored, having to take a break from active duty to fulfill… _wifely_ duties." Here, Kakashi coughed with meaning. Hinata caught on quickly and felt a blush burn her cheeks at his implication. He carried on with an amused smile. "You were born a kunoichi, Hinata, and I don't expect our marriage to change that. I'm sure I can, ah, _persuade_ the Council to amend that part of our contract."

Gratitude blossomed in her chest, and, instinctively, Hinata bowed, bending from her waist down, wanting to show the man whom she owed so much to the full _depth_ of her gratefulness. She straightened her spine and, to her surprise, was met with the sight of a frowning Kakashi.

"…Kakashi-san?"

At her questioning tone, his frown disappeared, but left an unreadable look in its place. Unease took its place in the multitude of her feelings as his silence continued to mount. Finally, Kakashi released a short sigh and spoke.

"It's nothing, Hinata."

His unconvincing words did nothing to placate her growing unrest, and he seemed to notice it, judging by his suddenly awkward cough.

"It's just…" he tried again. "Sometimes I feel like you don't see this… relationship very clearly."

"Wh-_what_?" asked Hinata in bewilderment, not at all comprehending what he was getting at.

"I am Shichidaime Hokage, Hatake Kakashi, and you are?"

His random self-introduction left Hinata at a loss for words. Her eyes fixated themselves onto his face in concern for his health, both mental and physical. Perhaps the stress of Kage duties had been getting to him…?

…and perhaps it was just her imagination, but did it not appear as if he had gotten…_ thinner?_ An unhealthy sheen coated what was visible of the man's face as well, and dark bags underlined his eye in what could only be exhaustion.

"And _you_ are?" prompted Kakashi again, effectively breaking Hinata from her concerned scrutiny of him.

Slightly befuddled, Hinata answered in monotone.

"I am Hatake Hinata, w-wife of Hatake Kakashi."

Her words slid off her tongue with practiced fluidity, and, with that, understanding dawned in one splendid swoop. Despite herself, Hinata found herself smiling.

"I… see, Kakashi-san." Her smile widened at his approving nod.

"We're on equal footing, Hinata." Kakashi tapped her on the head once with the scroll in a teasing manner, much to Hinata's chagrin. "I'm getting too old to bow that low to anyone anyways."

Stunned, Hinata began to protest his supposed decrepitude, but Kakashi just chuckled in amusement as he left the room.

Not leaving, however, without saying the one sentence Hinata had perhaps been wanting to hear all along.

"I'm looking forward to having dinner with you tonight."

* * *

**Omake**

"No."

"…I admit, that wasn't quite the reaction I was expecting."

Hinata shifted on the balls of her feet, carefully avoiding the gaze of the Hokage and his assistant. Her eyes focused on the dizzying swoops of a messenger bird outside the wide windows as she tried to form her words coherently.

"Kakashi-san, I appreciate y-your efforts that allowed me to take missions, b-but… don't you have any missions _outside_ of Konoha_?_"

"Oh."

Kakashi scratched the bridge of his nose with a delicate finger and flipped through the mission scrolls on his desk. The Chuunin beside him gave a start and pointed at a scroll with an excited, "Oh, look, there's o—"

"Hm, no, we seem to be all out of A or B-rank missions," said Kakashi, smoothly cutting over his assistant.

Kunoichi or not, there was something terribly suspicious about the scene she had just witnessed. Suppressing an exasperated sigh, Hinata took the C-rank scroll proffered to her with reluctance.

"Have fun," called out Kakashi as she left.

* * *

It's on the short side, but I'm not running short of inspiration or motivation, so I'm certainly thinking that there'll be another chapter up soon :)

Thanks to **Idle Writer of Crack** for her encouraging review. Her review prompted the rushed omake, hah. Hope she doesn't mind me taking the idea.

**Thanks to everyone for your lovely reviews!**


End file.
